“Then Saul defeated the Amalekites, from Havilah going toward Shur, which is east of Egypt. He captured Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and completely destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the more valuable animals, the lambs, and everything that was good, and were unwilling to destroy them completely; but everything despicable and weak, that they completely destroyed. Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel, saying, “I regret that I have made Saul king, because he has turned back from following Me and has not carried out My commands.” And Samuel was furious and cried out to the Lord all night.” 1 Samuel 15:7-11

When people don’t give one hundred percent effort, we call their attempt “half-hearted.” When people are non-committal and seem like they have other things on their mind, we say they “have one foot in and one foot out.” In the workplace, most of us know only giving a portion of our effort is not good. We make mistakes; we miss important information; we never fully invest in the work we are doing. Yet we might find it easier to give a half-effort in our relationship with God, following Him in some ways when it is convenient and doing what we want when it is inconvenient. This struggle is nothing new.
Even Saul, the king God put in place over Israel, chose to live by what he wanted rather than how God directed. He also led the people in this habit of following God when it was convenient but doing what they wanted when it was not. Like Saul, we may justify our actions, but God sees our hearts. Our half-hearted efforts impact our fellowship with Him. Living as a Christian is a full-life commitment; it changes the way we live, what we do, and how we interact with others. God calls us to full effort and obedience, and He is more than worth it.

– What are some ways we might half-heartedly live out our faith?
– What steps can you take toward fully committing to God?
– Pray and admit to God the ways it is hard for you to fully commit to Him.